Flashlight switch



Aug.v5 1969 E. J. GARLAND 3,459,907

.I FLASHLIGHT SWITCH y vFiled March l, 1968 Wim Y United States Patent U.S. Cl. 200-60 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A toggle actuated switch for use in flashlights, especially the penlight type flashlight in which the switch mechanism is mostly inside -a metal end cap which can be attached to one end of the flashlight casing. When in place on the flashlight the switch has a conductive spring in contact at one end with a battery terminal and at the other end in contact with a conductive contact ring. The contact ring covers a portion of a dish shaped switch platform made of a resilient insulating material which keeps both the conductive spring and the contact ring from contacting the flashlight casing. A metallic switch toggle has one end projecting externally of the end cap, a middle section in contact with the end cap, and the other end is located in the center of the switch platform when the switch is at off When the one end of the switch toggle is displaced a certain distance from the off position, the other end is removed from the center of the switch platform and cornes into contact with the contact ring causing an electrical circuit to be completed from the flashlight casing to the battery terminal through the circuit path consisting of the end cap, the switch toggle, the contact ring and finally the conductive spring.

Background of the invention The switch normally used today on the narrow or penlight type of flashlight is a push button or ball point pen type of switch. Due to the constricted area in which such switches are used the parts of the switch must necessarily be small. In order to have a reliable and inexpensive switch with relatively small parts, it is best j to design a switch having as few parts as possible with the parts having as simple and rugged construction as possible. These considerations become more important when this type switch is adapted to be used as an electrical switch in a narrow flashlight, known commonly as a penlight, since in adapting a ball point or push button type switch to an electrical one more parts are needed in the manufacture of the switch. The effect of having more parts which must be confined in a narrow area is to increase the need that the parts be as few in number as possible and be simple and rugged in construction in order to make a reliable and inexpensive switch.

Also in the ball point pen type of switch a spring is usually involved in the functional operation of pushing out and retracting the ball of the pen. Since the spring can easily malfunction, it preferably should not enter into the functional operation of the switch, especially when this type of switch is to be adapted for use as an electrical switch.

The electrical switch which is the subject of this invention is a practical and reliable solution to these problems which must Ibe met when designing a switch for use in the penlight type flashlight.

Summary of the invention It is therefore a purpose of this invention to have an electrical switch which can be confined in a small area, has few parts, is simple in construction, and is reliable in operation.

3,459,907 Patented Aug. 5, 1969 Another purpose of the invention is to provide a switch which will have a toggle action. This toggle action is desirable in that it is a more normal switching action and is characteristically strong and reliable in operation.

It is also an object o-f this invention to have an electrical switch which can be used in a relatively narrow and confined area such as in a penlight flashlight, wherein the switch operating lever forms part of the circuit when the switch is turned on.

Another purpose of the invention is to have an electrical switch wherein 1a spring is used both as a conductive element in the switch circuit as well as to keep the flashlight batteries in contact with the light bulb. By having the spring member serve as a conductor and not enter into any mechanical operations of the switch, the chance of the spring malfunctioning is greatly reduced and as a result reliability of the electrical switch is further assured.

The purposes of this invention are accomplished through the use of a toggle switch housed in a metallic cap at one end of the penlight The essential elements of the switch are a switch toggle, a resilient switch platform, a contact ring and a metal spring. The switch toggle, contact ring, and metal spring all form part of the electrical cir-cuit when the switch is on.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 illustrates the various elements of the Whole flashlight with the individual parts of the switch disassembled.

FIGURE 2. is a fragmentary sectional View of an as sembled flashlight of FIGURE 1. The end cap is shown screwed onto the end of the flashlight and the switch toggle is illustrated in the olf position (solid lines) and in the on position (dashed lines).

Description of the preferred embodiments Referring now to FIGURE 1 we see a narrow or penlight type flashlight generally referred to as 15 with the various individual elements of the switch of this invention separated from each other in the order in which they yare assembled. The flashlight has a tubular container 16 which contains one or more batteries which are not shown. In one end of the tubular casing a lightbulb 26 is shown in place and covered by a lamp cover 17. At the other end of the tubular casing is shown the elements of the switch which is generally designated as 25 and which is the subject of this invention. The parts of this switch will simply be designated here and will be more fully described when FIGURE 2 is discussed. The electrical switch has a conductive spring 19, a switch platform 20, a conductive contact ring 21 which has extensions 28, a conductive switch toggle 22, and finally a conductive housing or end cap 29 which can be screwed onto the tubular casing of the flashlight.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, a more detailed description of the various parts of this switch and their respective functions is now possible. Therefore in FIGURE 2 the conductive spring is shown contacting one terminal of the flashlight battery 31. The extensions 28 of the Contact ring are shown inserted through holes 33 in a dish shaped surface 34 of the switch platform 20. These extensions 28 are crimped over the under-surface of the dish shaped surface at points 35, so that the contact ring is electrically connected to the battery terminal through the conductive spring which, as seen in FIG- URE 2, contacts each extension 28 of the conductive contact ring at each point 35. The switch toggle 22 is shown at one end projecting externally of the end cap through a slot 43 in the end cap. A dome shaped flange 44 of the switch toggle is shown mating and contacting the inner surface of the domed section of the metal end l description of the switch platform 20 will now be given, and in doing so, reference to both FIGURES l and 2 is necessary. The platform is molded in one piece from a resilient non-conducting material and is circular in circumference. The non-conducting resilient material can be any suitably exible plastic. Nylon has been used successively as the material. The platform itself has a generally dish shaped surface 34 having holes therein, and preferably has an array of legs 40 extending above and below the platform on its outer periphery. These legs act to enable the platform to fit snugly within the end cap as well as aiding in giving the platform support and resiliency, the latter being an important feature of the whole platform unit. The legs that extend below the dish shaped shaped surface of the platform are shorter than those that extend above, and these shorter legs surround and hold in place one end of the conductive spring 19 which is thereby disposed under the holes 33 in the dish shaped surface. The extensions 28 of the contact ring 21 project through these holes and thereby contact the spring at 35 after being crimped over the under side of the dish shaped surface. This configuration of the switch platform prevents the contact ring and the spring from contacting the metallic ashlight casing.

The platform surface 34 has been generally referred to as being dish shaped. It is obvious from FIGURE 2 that this is not a smooth surface but rather in the center there is a concave detent 45 which is surrounded by the metal contact ring 21 and which is formed by a raised, ring shaped surface portion 46 of the dish shaped surface 34. The switch toggle 22 is restrained within this detent when the switch is off and must ride over the bump formed by the raised surface 46 in order to contact the contact ring 21 and assume the on position. This detent therefore, and in particular the raised surface 46, prevents the switch toggle from inadvertently and freely moving between the on and the off positions but rather it serves to require that the switch toggle be snapped between these positions, thereby giving the switch a toggle action.

While this is the preferred shaped of the switch platform, it is not intended to limit this invention to this particular design of the platform since modifications thereto will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.

When the switch is turned off, the switch toggle is in the oif position shown in solid lines in FIGURE 2. Therefore in the olf position the switch toggle is essentially vertical with one end resting in the detent 45 of the switch platform. This detent 45 is exposed since it is in the center of the contact ring 21 which overlies only an annular region of the dish shaped surface 34 of the switch platform 20. When the switch is turned to on the switch toggle is shown in lFIGURE 2 in dotted lines at angle of approximately 45 degrees. The one end of the switch toggle has been snapped over the bump caused by the raised surface 46 and is now resting on and in contact with the contact ring at 447. The switch toggle is pressed against the contact ring causing a compressive deformation of the switch platform under the section of the contact ring in contact with the switch toggle. The deformation is approximately the thickness of the section of the contact ring as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2. The spring 19 can also aid in this resilient action. It is seen that in the on position an electrical circuit path is now formed from the tubular casing 16 through the end cap 29, through the switch toggle 22, through the contact ring 21 and finally through the conductive spring 19 to the ashlight battery terminal. The switch toggle can be moved from the on to the off position or vice versa by a simple push or shove of a finger against the end of the switch toggle that extends above the top of the conductive end cap. It should be noted here that in the switch of this invention the switch toggle itself is a part of the electrical circuit when the switch is on This is a distinctive feature of this switch and there is no danger of electrical shock to the operator of this switch due to the low voltage of the source of electrical energy. If a high voltage source of power is used then it would be necessary to insulate that part of the switch when a person would contact when operating it.

Both FIGURES 1 and 2 show the open slot in the domed section of the end cap. This slot through which the switch toggle projects acts to guide the switch toggle in its motion of going from oif to on and vice versa. The slot is preferably made as shown, extending approximately only one half the distance across the domed top of the end cap. `If the slot were fully extended across the entire length of the dome so as to permit the switch toggle to move in two opposite directions and thereby be in two corresponding on positions, the result would be that the switch toggle would easily pass from one on position, through the oit position and to the other on position whenever one went to turn the switch to off While this problem would not necessarily arise if two slots were placed at to each other and if neither slot extended across the full distance of the dome on the end cap, nevertheless manufacturing problems make :this arrangement less preferable than the one disclosed herein.

From the description of the operation of the switch it is apparent that the switch toggle 22 contacts the contact ring 21 at one point only. Therefore, the contact member need not necessarily be ring shaped but could be a small strip located at the point with which the switch toggle snaps into contact when the switch is turned on However, this would require aligning the switch platform 20 within the end cap in such a manner as to be certain that the contact strip is precisely located at the point where contact with the toggle is to be made. The use of a contact ring is therefore preferable since it solves this problem of alignment during assembly of the switch and assures contact with the toggle when the switch is turned Non.

It is seen that the parts of the switch disclosed herein are not only few in number but are simple in construction and each one is as large as the circumstances permit. This simplicity and size of the parts aids in assuring a strong and durable switch. The toggle action of the switch causes a reliable and effective positive action in operating the switch. It is seen therefore that this switch is Very suitable for use in penlight type flashlights due to its strength and reliability. Of course it is not the purpose of this invention to restrict this electrical switch to use in a narrow flashlight but rather its usefulness in other applications will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. An electrical switch comprising in combination a conductive housing, a conductive spring, an insulating resilient switch platform which retains one end of said spring and has a dish shaped surface, a conductive contact ring overlying a portion of said dish shaped surface and in contact with said conductive spring, and a conductive switch toggle which in the oif position contacts the center of the said dish shaped surface and is capable of being dislodged from said off position by a rocking motion so that it rides up a side wall of said dish shaped surface to the on position and cornes into contact with said conductive contact strip while maintaining contact with said conductive housing.

2. A switch for alternately making and breaking an electrical circuit comprising a conductive housing, a conductive spring, an insulating resilient switch platform having a dish shaped surface and shaped to iit within said housing and to prevent said spring from contacting said housing, said dish shaped surface having holes therein through which extensions of a contact ring project and are crimped over the underside of said dish shaped surface `and contact said spring, said contact ring overlying substantially the side walls of said dish shaped surface, and a conductive switch toggle which maintains contact with said housing while in one position contacts a central portion of the said dish shaped surface and in another position contacts said contact ring by rotating out of contact with said switch platform and riding up a side w-all of said dish shaped surface of said switch platform.

3. An electrical switch of claim 1 wherein said switch toggle maintains contact with said conductive housing by means of a dome shaped ange located in the middle of said switch toggle and which continually presses against the inside surface of the upper dome shaped portion of said conductive housing.

4. In combination, a tubular, conductive flashlight casing, a battery in said casing, a light bulb retained in one end of said casing and in contact with a terminal of said battery, and an electrical switch of claim 1 attached to the other end of said casing, wherein said conductive spring contacts the other terminal of said battery and an electrical circuit is established between said terminals of said battery when said switch is on, said circuit comprising said conductive spring, said contact ring, said switch toggle, said conductive housing, said casing and said bulb.

5. A toggle actuated electric switch comprising in combination:

I(l) a metallic spring having one end in contact with Ea metallic contact ring `at at least one point of one side of a dish shaped surface of a switch platform and said springs other end being free;

(2) a switch platform made of non-conducting material and having a dish shaped surface, said dish shaped surface having holes therein;

1(3) a metallic contact ring which overlies a portion of said dish shaped surface surrounding and leaving exposed the center thereof, and having extensions which project through said holes in said dish shaped surface and are crimped over the under side thereof to xedly attach said contact ring .to said switch platform and to contact said contact ring with said end of said metallic spring;

(4) a switch toggle shaped like a rod with -a dome shaped ilange in the middle thereof, a first end of said switch toggle resting in the said exposed center of the dish shaped surface when in the olf position and snapping into contact with said contact ring when in the on position; and

(5) a metallic end cap housing members (1) (2) (3),

Iand (4) and having a dome shaped top with a slot cut out of said top forming an arc extending downwardly approximately from the apex of said dome shaped top to one edge thereof, said dome shaped top continually mating and contacting said dome `shaped ange of said switch toggle and said slot guiding and restraining the motion of said switch :toggle in going from the off position to the on position and vice versa, said motion of said switch toggle resulting from a force applied to a second end of said switch toggle, which second end extends above the top of said end cap.

6. In combination, a tubular flashlight and an electrical switch of claim S, wherein said metallic end cap is threaded onto one end of said flashlights tubular casing, said free end of said metallic spring being in contact with one 'terminal of a battery which is inside said tubular casing whereby said tubular casing is capable of coming into electrical contact with said battery terminal by means of a circuit path when said switch is on, said circuit path comprising said end cap, said switch toggle, said contact ring and said spring.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,249,691 7/ 1941 Gelaroin 200-60 2,070,316 2/ 1937 Recker 200-60 '2,443,539 6/ 1948 Kopp 200-60 2,503,287 4/1950 Moore 200-60 2,565,863 y8/1951 Linn 200-68 2,666,894 l/ 1954 Babernitsh 200- H. O. JONES, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. ZOO-68, 164 

